Lansing, Mich. (May 29, 2017) – Farmers should sign up now for the Michigan Wheat Program’s Wheat Field Day set for Wednesday, June 14! The event will be held at Michigan State University’s Plant Pathology Research Center, 3735 College Rd., in Lansing. On-site check-in and a continental breakfast begin at 8:15 a.m., and wagons load for the plot tour presentations at 9 a.m.
“We look forward to our annual summer field day to showcase for growers the results of the research they fund,” said David Milligan, chairman of the nine-member wheat board and a wheat farmer from Cass City. “The majority of our funds are spent on research, so this event is in a way our annual report back to growers. Not only can they see what we have done, they can also ask questions and share ideas that can turn into next year’s research projects.”
The wagon tour stops feature the following topics and presenters, who are funded in part by the Michigan Wheat Program:
- Wheat Diseases – Dr. Martin Chilvers and MSUE wheat educator Martin Nagelkirk
- Breeding High-Performance Wheat – MSU wheat breeder Dr. Eric Olson
- Weed Control Research – Dr. Christy Sprague
- Macro’s, Micro’s and Magical Mixes – Dr. Kurt Steinke
- Wheat Establishment – MSU wheat specialist Dennis Pennington and MSUE wheat educator Martin Nagelkirk
After lunch presentations are planned, including a report about activities of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) from Cass City wheat farmer David J. Milligan, recently-elected as secretary of NAWG and also chairman of the Michigan Wheat Program since 2011. Bruce Sutherland of Michigan Ag Commodities will provide the 2017 Market Outlook. Martin Nagelkirk and Dennis Pennington close out the afternoon session with a Looking Ahead to Harvest presentation.
The Michigan Wheat Program has received 6 RUP credits and 4 CCA credits combined in the areas of Nutrient Management, Integrated Pest Management, Crop Management and Professional Development.